How to Create Flat Design Headphones in Adobe Illustrator

I love headphones, and this tutorial is inspired by the Audiotechnica M50X. As you’ll see, we’ll be creating this with basic shapes in Adobe Illustrator. So if you’re a lover of headphones and good music, this tutorial is for you!

How to Create Flat Design Headphones in Adobe Illustrator

1.How to Create a New Document and Set Up a Grid

PressControl-Nto make aNew Document. Set theUnitstoPixels, and enter800 x 600for the width and height of the document. Then in theAdvancedoptions, selectRGB,Screen (72 ppi),and make sure to activate theAlign New Objects to Pixel Grid boxbefore clickingOK.

Activate theGrid(View > Show Grid) andSnap to Grid(View > Snap to Grid). You’ll need a grid every10 px, so simply pressControl-Kto go toPreferences, and inGuides & GridsetGridline everyto10andSubdivisionsto4. Don’t worry—the grid will help you work in an easy way, and it can also be enabled or disabled by pressing the keyboard shortcutControl-“.

You can activate theInfopanel (Window > Info) in order to have a preview of the size and position of your shapes. Remember to set the measuring unit toPixelsfromEdit > Preferences > Units. This will greatly increase the speed of your work.

2.How to Create the Headphones

First things first—let’s start with one earpad so we can
duplicate it and then create the headband for our headphones. Make sure to turn on the Grid so that you can work with greater precision and ease.

Step 1

Start by creating the earpad with a 46 x 132 px rectangle using the
Rectangle Tool (M). Select #84EDFF as the fill color and no color for the stroke fill.

In the Transform panel, enter 14 px as the right-side corner
radius and 2 px as the left-side corner radius.

Step 2

Duplicate the rectangle (Control-C > Control-F)
and change its Width to 36 px with the Selection Tool (V). Select #40BDD1as the fill color and change the right-side corner radius to 10 px.

Step 3

Duplicate the last rectangle (Control-C > Control-F) and change its Width to 24 px. Select #47D2E9as the fill color and change the left-side corner radius to 6 px.

Step 4

Next to the earpad, create the speaker base
using a 4 x 128 px rectangle, and use #5B5B5F as the fill color; then set the right-side corner radius to 2 px.

Step 5

Now create the housing using a 24 x 80 px rectangle. Select #363434 as the fill color and change
the left-side corner radius to 2 px.

Step 6

Add some depth to the housing duplicating
(Control-C > Control-F) the previous rectangle and changing its Height to 58 px.
Change the fill color to #3B3939.

Step 7

Repeat the previous step and change the
rectangle’s Height to 50 px. Change the fill color to #444242.

Step 8

Now create the support for the speaker’s hinge
using a 20 x 16 px rectangle. Select #4D4A4A as the fill color and change the left side radius to 8 px.

Step 10

Continue with the small headband using a 8 x 10
px rectangle. Select #444242 as the fill color and place
the rectangle as shown in the image below.

Step 11

Now create a hinge using a 16 x 16 px ellipse
with the Ellipse Tool (L). Select #5B5B5Fas the fill color and place the ellipse as shown in the image below.

Duplicate the ellipse and change its size to
12 x 12 px from the Transform panel. Change the fill color to #444242.

Step 12

Continue drawing the headband’s support using
a 16 x 18 px rectangle. Change the fill color to #444242. Select chamfer corners for the lower corners and set the
radius to 4 px. Send the rectangle to the back (Object > Arrange > Send
to Back).

Step 13

Create a new 12 x 20 px rectangle, and select #5B5B5F as the fill color. Set the lower corner’s radius to 6 px.

Step 3

Add a third rectangle, this one of (#B4B5B8) 4 x 20
px, and set 2 px chamfers in the upper corners from the Transform panel.

Finally, add two 4 x2 px rectangles (#8A8686) and
place them over the jack.

4.How to Create a Background

And we are done with the plug cord, so now let’s
finish the design by creating a nice background for our headphones.

Step 1

Let’s start by creating a musical note. To do
this, use a 22 x 12 px rectangle, a 4 x 40 px rectangle and finally a 20 x 20 px
ellipse. Use #003E57 as the fill color.

Link all forms and merge them together using the
Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. Slightly round all corners with the
Direct Selection Tool (A).

Step 2

Duplicate (Control-C > Control-F) the
musical note four times, and rotate the copies and change their scales using the Selection Tool (V).
Place them as shown in the picture below.

Then group them together and flip them
vertically (Object > Transform > Reflect…) to place them on the right side of the headphone.

Step 3

Finally, create an800 x 600 px rectangle, the same
size as the canvas. Apply a radial gradient from the Gradient panel, using the
following fill colors:

Color A:#1F3B54

Color B:#182D40

Remember to send the rectangle to the back of
the canvas (right click > Arrange > Send to Back).

Awesome Work, You’re Finished!

Yaaaay! We’re done! You have finished this
amazing headphones illustration! It’s an incredible result, another example
that you can achieve fun illustrations without much difficulty by using basic forms.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial as much as I
did; hopefully, it was full of new knowledge for you. I’d like to see your
design—I’ll be waiting!